New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-09-17
THE VOLUNTEER SELECTED.
NO MORE TRIAL RACES NEOESSABY
THE NEW BURGESS BOAT BEATS THE NAY.
FLOWER SIXTEEN MINUTES

RACING TRrA-THR CUP COMMITTEE SAT-
IsFIED THAT THE VOLUNTEER Is
SUPERIOR TO LAST YEARS
CHAMPION. AND SHE
WILL DEFEND
THE CUP.
1t Is settled that the Volunteer Is TO race With
the Thistle for the Americas Cup There will be
no more trial races. No more are needed The
race yesterday afforded as good test as could be
desired of the relative speed OF the two yachts In
good stiff breeze, with lumpish sea rur ming,
and at various points of sailing, running free.
reaching and windward work. The Volunteer
established her superiority beyond the shadow Of
doubt, and at the conclusion of the race the Cup
Committee informed General Paine that the vdlun-
teer had been selected to sell against the Thistle
the weather was of character that more tan
atoned for the two previous disappointments. II
piew hard and steady and was without lulsss.
In the run Of ten miles before the wind the May
mower gained 22 seconds on the Volunteer; In Il Q
hrse reach Of nine miles the Volunteer eaines,
l minute and 2a seconds the Mayhower; H.
the second reach, same distance, she gained I
minute and so seconds on last years favorite,
and In the ten miles of beating dead to wind
ward which followed, the Volunteer ran away
from the Mayaower to the extent of 13 minutes
self nearly ss good as the Mayfower In running
before the wind superior to her in reaching and
great deal faster in beating against the wind.
There is no explaining away these results Tho
Volunteer is simply better boat thon the May
flower. and Burgess has again beaten himself
The Cup Committee wisely concluded that there
was no necessity for any further trials between
the two yachts The MayAower must be content
second m ipfa of
stick flyers.
WHAT THE THISTLE DID.
Interest in the race was much heightened by tho
presence and in measure participation In 1t Of
the Thistle. But 1t is difficult to draw definite
conclusions from her performance. She was not
in racing trim. She tOwed dingy astern and
had her gig and cutter swinging from her davits
1t was apparent at times, too, that she was not
doing her best just to what extent she was
sailed "for all that she was worth" under tho
circumstances only the cany Scotchmcn on board
Of her can tell, and 1t is certain that they will
not. In the second of the reaches she fairly held
her own with the Mayfower. She also went over
the course In the ten miles of windward work,
and the Maynower beat her-if 1t can be called
a beat under the circumstances / minute
48 l-5 seconds. comparison with the Volun-
teer's showed that her time In this windwad
work was IA minutes so 40 seconds better than
the Thistles.
From this 1t is fair to infer that the Thistle in
racing trim and sailed at her best could have
beaten the Mayhower. But could she by improve
ment in trim and handling close up the gap that
separated her from the Voluntcerp There were
some good judges on the Electra who thought
not. They freely asserted their belief that in
good stiff breeze, at least, the Volunteer may be
safely trusted to keep the cup on this side Of the
Atlantic. But only the Scotchmen know just
how much better their boat could have done.
Her participation in the race was shrewd
man9uvre. She was able TO gauge exactly the
speed OF the Volunteer and Mayflower as COM
pared with her own, but they, not knowing how
much more "gon she yet has in her. can form no
unqualified opinion about her.
PLENTY OF WIND AT LAST.
Wind at last. 1t was that which put Commo-
dore Gerry and the Cup Committee and the Re-
gaeta Committee and everybody else interested in
the race between the Volunteer and Mayfower-
and who is not?-in such excellent spirits yester
day morning. 1t was no lady's breeze, no gentle
zephyr; but it came piping along from the north
east with clustering assertion that indicated
its intention to stay all day. 1t made music in
the trees, it whistled to the telegraph wires, 1t
stirred up little hiIloclxs of green in the upper
bay and crowned them with white-caps il sent
boats scudding along under reefed mainsails, and
it sang an inspiring song to the sturdy tars on
the Volunteer and Mayfowcr 1t promised to
kick up n sea outside that would play the mis-
chief with squeamish stomachs. but what mattered
it II the landubbers lie down below, below,
below so long as the great race went gloriously
on?
The bonnie Thistle with Mrs. Bell on board,
who quite fills the injunction in the song-"A
sailor's wife sailors star should bc'-started
of early from Tompllinsville to see the race.
And she was to see race worth seeing ana
worth taking hand in.
The Volunteer and MayHower started of in tow
of the IIaviland at $3.50 for the Scotland Light
ship. The chunky little seas slapped viciously
ut their sharp stems and were tossed aside In
spray They jumped at their sides and taffrails
and fell away in foam. Let boats be built never
SO sharp and fine, they could not 60 through
such a lumpy little sea without making some
fuss about 1t.
The Electra started at 0 o'clock. She would
have got away easier, but the freight man OF
the steamboats, plying between the Battery ana
Bay Ridge is O somnolent individual, who sur
rounds himself with halo Of red tape. He was
not up when the first boat lift Ncw-York, and
as nobody could do anything without him the
Electra had to wait till the next boat came for
her stores; for what Commodore Gerry calls the
plain and frugal fare Of the Electra" is something
which cannot be improviscd at an hours notice.
There is always great fleet Of yachts of lay
Ridge, and yachtsmen there have often suffered
serious inconvenience to the inner man because
of needless delay in forwarding their stores.
However, when the Electra did start at o'clock
she capped on q good head Of steam and made
rapid headway, casting aside glorious shower
of rainbow-tinted spray from her shapely bow.
She passed the sloop Florida running back TO
New-York with double-reefed mainsail. Tho
Florida Is one of the tender sort built for shoai
waters and summer cruising. and the aspect Of
things didn't suit her at all